Involuntary movements misdiagnosed as seizure during vitamin B12 treatment

Pediatr Emerg Care. 2013 Nov;29(11):1223-4. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0b013e3182aa475e.

Abstract

Seizures and epilepsy are a common problem in childhood. Nonepileptic paroxysmal events are conditions that can mimic seizure and frequent in early childhood. Nonepileptic paroxysmal events can be due to physiological or exaggerated physiological responses, parasomnias, movement disorders, behavioral or psychiatric disturbances, or to hemodynamic, respiratory, or gastrointestinal dysfunction. Vitamin B12 deficiency is a treatable cause of failure to thrive and developmental regression, involuntary movements, and anemia. Involuntary movements rarely may appear a few days after the initiation of vitamin B12 treatments and might be misdiagnosed as seizure. Here, we report 2 patients who presented with involuntary movements with his video image.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Video-Audio Media

MeSH terms

  • Atrophy
  • Brain / pathology
  • Breast Feeding / adverse effects
  • Clonazepam / therapeutic use
  • Diagnostic Errors*
  • Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced / diagnosis*
  • Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced / etiology
  • Electroencephalography
  • Emergencies
  • Epilepsies, Partial / diagnosis*
  • Female
  • Growth Disorders / complications
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Injections, Intramuscular
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Milk, Human / chemistry
  • Psychomotor Agitation / diagnosis
  • Psychomotor Agitation / etiology
  • Status Epilepticus / diagnosis*
  • Vitamin B 12 / administration & dosage
  • Vitamin B 12 / adverse effects*
  • Vitamin B 12 / blood
  • Vitamin B 12 / therapeutic use
  • Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / blood
  • Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / drug therapy*
  • Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / etiology

Substances

  • Clonazepam
  • Vitamin B 12